Last November, SDE initiated amendments to the Political Parties Act that would allow an individual to donate up to a total of €100,000 per year to a political party, to reduce the influence of a small number of major donors on Estonian politics.

Under the bill, any amount exceeding the €100,000 limit would be considered a prohibited donation. The amount in question would have to be transferred to the state budget. A party membership fee exceeding €100,000 would also be considered a prohibited donation.

At the first reading held in the Riigikogu on Thursday, a question-and-answer session was opened with party Chairman Lauri Läänemets (SDE), who presented the bill, during which members of parliament largely questioned the necessity of the proposal.

For example, EKRE faction member Varro Vooglaid asked Läänemets how to prevent a situation in which a donor makes contributions through other individuals in a total amount exceeding the limit. Vooglaid also expressed the view that state funding for political parties should be abolished altogether.

MP Lea Danilson-Järg (Isamaa) said state funding cements the position of large governing parties, such as the Reform Party.

Member of the Riigikogu Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa) asked Läänemets why SDE has accepted donations from major businessman Oleg Ossinovski, who has been linked in the media to business ties with Russian oligarchs.

Reinsalu, who also took the floor, compared his opposition party Isamaa to David fighting Goliath, ie governing parties financed with taxpayers' money.

"Now, before the elections, there is an attempt to bend the law in their own favor," he said. "We will submit amendments to the bill stipulating that money from Russian oligarchs cannot be used in Estonian politics,"

Martin Helme (EKRE) was also critical of the bill, but said he would not obstruct the proceedings, hoping it would fail at the second reading.

The Reform Party supports the bill. "I consider it important that political decisions are transparent. If society develops a sense that decisions are driven by hidden influence, democracy suffers," said Margit Sutrop (Reform). "The bill requires broader substantive and open public debate. The issue is not only the norm itself, but whether it is consistent with rights and feasible in practice," Sutrop said.

The bill passed its first reading, and the deadline for submitting amendments is mid-March.

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